Fujita, Tsuguharu

Childhood and Youth in Japan

Tsuguharu Fujita was born in Tokyo and came from a noble family of Fujita (the surname “Fujita” means “a field of wisteria ”; the name “Tsuguharu” means “heir to the world”) ^{[2] [3]} . His father was General Tsuguakira Fujita, a physician in the Imperial Army . Mother, Masa Fujita, died in 1891; Tsuguharu also had an older brother and two older sisters. ^[4]

When the child was two years old, the family moved to the south of Japan, in the city of Kumamoto ^{[5] [K 2]} . Here, little Tsuguharu enthusiastically discovered the natural world, which inspired him for his first sketches. Subsequently, the artist often recalled his childhood in a house by the river ^[5] .

In 1892, the Tsuguharu family returned to Tokyo. Having gone to elementary school in 1893, the boy demonstrates obvious abilities for painting. In 1900, the official jury selects a drawing of a young artist for demonstration in the Japanese pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris ^[7] .

In Tokyo, Tsuguharu gets acquainted with Western art and dreams of going to Paris, the capital of the arts. Contrary to Tsuguharu’s fears, his father decides to become an artist, but he and his friend, writer Mori Ogai , advise the young man to get an education in Japan ^[8] .

In 1904, Fujita began to prepare for admission to the Tokyo Higher School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts ). But in parallel with this, he still studies the French language and out of curiosity attends the Catholic Church ^[8] . Having successfully passed the entrance tests, Fujita enters the School in 1905. During the first test semester, he studies traditional Japanese painting, but then chooses the course of Western oil painting ^[7] . Teachers mark Tsuguhara as a capable and zealous student, although they criticize him for being too addicted to the Western style of painting ^[9] . In those same years, his tendency to extravagance, unusual accessories and easy shocking clothes manifested, however, characterized by its invariable elegance ^[10] .

In 1906, Fujita went on a trip to China and Manchuria ^[9] . Having returned, however, he rediscovered the charm of Japanese landscapes and painted mainly them. During this period, he met Tomiko Tokita ( 登 美 子 ), also a student at the Tokyo School of Art, who would soon become his wife ^[11] .

In 1910, Fujita completed his studies at an art school; as a thesis, he presents a self-portrait (the first of the known; subsequently, Fujita will create many works in this genre) ^[9] . In 1911 he received the first official order: he paints a portrait of the emperor of Korea, who is in exile in Japan ^[12] . In the same year, his landscapes are repeatedly shown at exhibitions in Tokyo. However, despite its relative success, Fujita continues to dream of Paris. The father does not object to the departure of his son and even agrees to help him financially, provided that after three years Tsuguharu will return to his homeland. On June 8, 1913, Fujita was sent to France ^[12] .

Paris

Fujita leaves the ship in Marseille on August 5, 1913 ^[13] . Upon arrival in Paris, he settles in the Montparnasse quarter, where artists, poets and other people associated with art lived. In the cafe, he meets the Chilean artist , who introduces him to Picasso ^[14] . In the workshop of Picasso, he sees his own work of the "blue period" and a number of cubist paintings, as well as paintings by Customs Officer Russo , which make a huge impression on him. Over time, Fujita became acquainted with many Montparnasse artists and poets: Apollinaire , Jacob , Braque , Leger , van Dongen , Bonnard , Vlaminck , Marche , Dufy ... He also draws closer to foreign artists of the so-called Paris school : Modigliani , Pascin , Soutine and others ^{[15 ] [16]} . The extravagant Japanese in glasses attracts everyone's attention. Friends give him the nickname "Fu Fu" ( fr. Fou - crazy) ^[17] .

Fujita sets himself the task of combining East and West in his work ^[18] . He does not have enough money for oil paints, so he turns to graphics and watercolors. Despite extreme poverty, he works hard and fruitfully. However, dissatisfied with his works (which at that time had traces of the influence of cubism and futurism ), the artist destroys almost everything that he did ^[19] . Fujita regularly visits the Louvre , studying and copying the works of great predecessors. In addition, trying to understand the foundations of European civilization, he turns to the culture of Ancient Greece and attends the "Academy" of Raymond Duncan ^[20] . Meanwhile, three years pass, after which Tsuguharu was supposed to return to Japan. He decides not to return and writes a letter to his father, in which he refuses his financial support ^[21] . Even the outbreak of the First World War does not affect his firm intention to stay in Paris ^[22] .

In 1917, Fujita meets , with whom he falls in love ^[23] . They become husband and wife (by this time, Fujita has already been divorced from Tomiko); the artist moves to live with Fernanda. Fernanda energetically undertakes to "promote" her husband's work; Largely thanks to her, in 1917, the first personal exhibition of Fujita was held in the Sharon Gallery ( French Galerie Chéron ), where 110 of his watercolors are displayed ^{[K 3]} . On the opening day, Picasso came to the exhibition and, according to the memoirs of Fujita, spent several hours on it, carefully examining the drawings ^[25] . The exhibition brings success to the artist; his works begin to be sold ^[26] . A side effect of success was the fact that Fujita finally could afford to buy oil paints and do oil painting ^[27] . In addition, he was able to go to Italy, where he personally saw great works of art. Looking at Da Vinci's The Last Supper , he first experienced a kind of religious revelation ^[28] . In addition, Fujita managed to meet with Pope Benedict XV , who gave him permission to come and study the Vatican murals at any time. Dad also ordered his portrait for the artist, but died before the portrait was ready ^[28] .

Since 1919, Fujita exhibited in the Paris Autumn Salon , where his paintings attract everyone's attention ^[29] . By 1921, the main range of themes of his painting was determined: naked women, cats, children, self-portraits ^[30] . In those same years, the image he chose for himself was finally entrenched: a long bang, glasses, small antennae and unusual costumes (many of which Fujita sews for himself); a tattoo in the form of a clock on the left wrist (the only ones, according to Fujita himself, that allowed him to be non-punctual) ^{[31] [32]} . His favorite model during these years is Kiki from Montparnasse ^{[K 4]} ; her portrait of a naked woman framed by a Tuyi from Zhui , exhibited in the Autumn Salon of 1922, brought Fuji a huge success and demonstrated his subtle sense of color ^{[34] [35]} . He becomes a member of the jury of the Autumn Salon and one of the most famous Parisian artists ^[36] .

In 1923, Fujita and Fernanda parted: each of them has a new hobby. Passia Fujita - young Belgian Lucy Badu ( fr. Lucie Badoud ), which he calls "Yuki" - in Japanese, "snow" ^[37] . Subsequently, Fujita will repeatedly write her in various images, and the painting "Yuki - the Snow Goddess" will make a splash in the Autumn Salon of 1924 ^{[38] [39]} . However, relations with Yuuki do not distract the artist from hard work (in his own words, at that time he worked for 14, sometimes 18, hours a day) ^[40] . Having mastered the technique of painting to perfection, Fujita writes large-format paintings, and in 1925 he also turned to the art of engraving ^[41] .

The artist’s fame is growing, including outside of France. Large patrons, industrialists and bankers order him portraits, landscapes and decorative panels for the interior ^[41] . In 1925, Fujita became a Knight of the Legion of Honor and received the Belgian Order of Leopold I ^{[36] [42]} . In 1929, he marries Yuuki, and together they go to Japan. Spouses visit Kumamoto, the childhood city of Fujita, Kyoto , Tokyo. However, already in 1931, Fujita would be forced to leave Yuki, who fell in love with the poet Robert Desnos , with whom Fujita himself maintained a friendship for a long time ^[43] .

Years of wandering

In October 1931, Fujita sets off on a long journey, accompanied by her model and former dancer Madeleine Lequeux ( French Madeleine Lequeux ). Among the countries he visited are the United States, Central and Latin America, China and Indochina ^[36] . Throughout the journey, which lasted two years, Fujita wrote travel notes ^[44] . In addition, all this time he repeatedly painted Madeleine. Fujita exhibitions are held in large cities ( Buenos Aires , Rosario , Cordoba ), invariably with great success ^[45] .

In November 1933, Fujita and Madeleine leave for Tokyo, where Tsuguharu meets with his old father, who is 80 years old ^[46] . The artist decides to stay in Japan, where he is received with honor, as a famous compatriot. His exhibitions are held in Tokyo and Kyoto; he writes, on order, large-scale murals and portraits of compatriots. June 29, 1936 his life is overshadowed by a tragic event: at the age of 27, Madeleine dies from an overdose of cocaine, which becomes a huge shock to Fujita ^[47] . However, even before that, in 1933, he met the young Japanese Kimimo, 25 years younger than Fujita himself, and became interested in her. In December 1936, Kimiyo becomes the fifth (and last) wife of the artist ^[48] .

In 1936, at a dinner in his honor, Fujita indiscreetly calls himself the first artist of his time. A wealthy collector from Akita , Hirano, challenges him by proposing to create the “greatest painting in the world” ^[49] . Fujita accepts the challenge; The conceived picture will, first of all, be striking in its size and speed of execution. The theme he chooses seasons in Akita. Fujita began to work without preliminary sketches that would slow down the work too much, but for various reasons, things are not going well. Hirano appeals to his honor and even suggests that Fuji commit a ritual suicide because of a broken word ^[50] . In the end, Fujita completes the work by spending 174 hours on it; a grandiose canvas of 3.65 by 20.5 m can be seen in the art museum of the city of Akita ^[51] .

The Sino-Japanese War began in 1937, and in 1938 the Ministry of the Navy delegated Fujita to China as a military artist. ^[52] However, Fujita yearns for Paris, and in the spring of 1939 he, along with Kimiyo, briefly returns there and settles again in Montmartre. But already in May of the following year, in view of the unstable political situation, the couple returned to Japan ^[53] .

During the Second World War, Fujita became a military artist in the service of the Japanese government ^[54] . For five years, the artist performed what he considered his duty to Japan, accompanying the Japanese army and navy, making numerous sketches and drawing military posters. In total, during this time he will create at least 150 oil paintings and about 50 watercolors ^[55] . Apparently, martial art became a source of genuine inspiration for Fujita ^[56] . Subsequently, this will cause criticism from a number of compatriots who believed that he should not have put his talent in the service of Japanese militarism ^[35] . Thus, the association of Japanese artists extremely sharply accused Fujita of the fact that his art played a huge role in the matter of military propaganda ^[57] .

This was one of the reasons why Fujita decided to leave Japan. However, he did not succeed in obtaining a French visa: obviously, France did not want to let the main war artist of the enemy country in the recent war ^[58] . Only in 1949, thanks to the intervention of General MacArthur , Fuji managed to leave, but not to France, but to the United States, where he had connections and fans. In New York, finally, he again feels free and able to enjoy life. Fujita draws and teaches a lot at the Brooklyn School of Fine Arts ^[59] . However, here, too, they saw him primarily as a former military artist. A group of New York artists staged a demonstration in front of the gallery where his exhibition was held, and signed a petition against Fujita, which called for him to be treated as a "fascist artist" and an instrument of Japanese military propaganda ^[60] . Meanwhile, France agreed to issue a visa to Fuji, and on January 27, 1950, he and Kimieux left New York ^[61] .

Return to France

Upon arriving in Paris, Fujita told reporters that he was back to stay forever and be buried in the Montparnasse cemetery near Modigliani ^{[61] [K 5]} . He gladly meets old friends: Salmon, Marriage, Vlaminok, Derain. He learns about new Parisian celebrities and new trends in painting, but keeps aloof from them ^[63] . Two months after arrival, the artist is preparing the first exhibition, which will feature 50 paintings. After the war years, he returns to old stories - women, cats, children - in which one feels a dreaminess and melancholy. He also takes a long trip to Algeria and Spain , where his exhibitions are held with constant success ^[64] . Upon returning, he donates four major works to the State Museum of Modern Art , in recognition of his appreciation of France ^[65] .

In the 1950s, Fujita worked intensively, creating paintings, prints, posters and illustrations for expensive books ^[65] . He has two workshops adjacent to each other on Campan-Premier Street: in one he not only works, but also lives with Kimiyo; другая предназначена только для творчества и, кроме того, в ней собраны разнообразные предметы, привезённые художником из разных стран или купленные на блошином рынке и у антикваров: десятки старинных кукол, фаянсовые вазы, птичьи клетки, гобелены, предметы мебели и т. п. ^[66] В 1952 году в Париже проходит ещё одна значительная выставка Фудзиты, где экспонируются сорок работ маслом и десять акварелей ^[67] . В 1953 году две персональные выставки художника проходят в Испании, в Барселоне и в Бильбао . В Барселоне открытие выставки посещают десять тысяч человек; оно широко освещается прессой. Там же, в Барселоне, Фудзита знакомится с Сальвадором Дали и делает рисунок, на котором изображает Дали в шаржированном виде и себя рядом с ним. Дали подписывает под рисунком «Мы — величайшие рисовальщики» ^[68] .

В 1954 году Фудзита разводится с Люси Баду (все эти годы их брак официально не был расторгнут), и 5 октября регистрирует свой брак с Кимиё в мэрии XIV округа ^[68] . В 1955 году супруги получают французское гражданство ^[69] . Хоть Фудзита и порывает тем самым связи с родной страной, в Японии неоднократно организуются крупные выставки его работ. В 1957 году он становится офицером Ордена почётного легиона ; в 1958 году его избирают членом бельгийской Королевской академии изящных искусств ^[70] .

Фудзита неоднократно обращался в своём творчестве к сюжетам, связанным с христианством ^[71] . В 1959 году он работает над иллюстрациями к Апокалипсису ^{[К 6]} . Работа захватывает его и, само собой, заставляет перечитать Библию. 18 июня 1959 года он посещает, вместе со своим другом Жоржем Прадом, Реймсский собор , где переживает своего рода религиозное озарение и решает стать католиком (до этого, по его словам, он не исповедовал никакой религии) ^[72] . Под руководством священника Фудзита изучает Священное писание и старается приобщить к новой вере свою жену. 14 октября 1959 года Фудзита и Кимиё принимают крещение в Реймсском соборе, при большом стечении публики и прессы. Крёстными Фудзиты становятся Рене Лалу, адвокат и глава дома шампанского Mumm , и жена Франсуа Теттенже, главы винодельческого дома Taittinger . Крёстные Кимиё — Жорж Прад и его супруга ^[73] . При крещении Фудзита принимает имя «Леонард Франсуа Рене»: Леонард — в память о неизгладимом впечатлении, которое произвела на него « Тайная вечеря » Леонардо да Винчи ; Франсуа — в честь почитаемого им святого Франциска Ассизского ; Рене — в честь крёстного. Кимиё примет имя «Мари-Анж-Клэр» ^[73] .

В 1961 году Фудзита и Кимиё решают поселиться в сельской местности и покупают домик в , в 30 км на юго-запад от Парижа ^[74] . Пара живёт уединённо и регулярно посещает старинную церковь неподалёку от их дома ^[69] .

В 1964 году Фудзита решает возвести часовню в Реймсе, в память о своём обращении, случившемся именно в этом городе. Собственно говоря, мечта собственноручно расписать церковь возникла у него ещё в день крещения ^[75] . Его поддерживает Рене Лалу: он берёт на себя расходы и выделяет Фудзите участок рядом с погребами дома Mumm. Фудзита сам изготовляет макет будущей часовни; он хочет, чтобы она была скромной, в романском стиле , и вписывалась в реймсский пейзаж. Затем он изучает технику фрески , готовит эскизы и сам расписывает всё внутреннее пространство церкви сценами из жизни Христа, Пресвятой Девы и видениями Апокалипсиса ^[76] . Витражи , изготовленные реймсским мастером, изображают Сотворение мира, грехопадение и Ноев ковчег. 1 октября 1966 года епископ Реймса торжественно освящает часовню ^[77] .

В декабре 1966 года здоровье художника начинает ухудшаться. Проведённое в Париже обследование выявляет рак. После операции наступает кратковременное улучшение, но уже в марте Фудзите снова становится хуже и его снова госпитализируют, на этот раз в Цюрихе . В октябре он просит близкого друга записать его последние мысли: воспоминания об ужасах войны, распоряжения относительно картин и похорон (Фудзита хочет быть похороненным в своей часовне или рядом с ней) ^[78] .

Цугухару Фудзита умер 29 января 1968 года, в возрасте 81 года. Его последними словами были: «Мой Господь, даруйте мне смерть» ^[79] . Согласно воле самого художника, его отпевание проходит в Париже, в церкви Нотр-Дам-де-Шан на Монпарнасе. В последний путь художника провожают многочисленные друзья, которые затем собираются на поминальную трапезу в кафе « Куполь » ^[79] . Затем тело перевозят в Реймс и, после торжественной церемонии прощания в Реймсском соборе, хоронят на Северном кладбище, в ожидании, пока в часовне будет подготовлено место для захоронения. Однако несколько лет спустя Кимиё распоряжается, чтобы останки мужа были перенесены на церковное кладбище в Вилье-ле-Бакль ^[79] . Лишь в 2003 году прах Фудзиты будет перезахоронен в часовне ^[80] ; в 2009 году здесь же будет погребена и Кимиё ^[81] .

Искусство Фудзиты объединило в себе традиции японской живописи, достижения европейского искусства и искания французских художников XX века ^[82] . Он был близок к так называемой « парижской школе », однако официально не принадлежал ни к какому художественному течению и выработал собственный, легко узнаваемый стиль, объединив в своём творчестве строгую линейность японской гравюры с традициями европейского реализма ^[83] . Его работы отличаются совершенством живописной техники, виртуозностью рисунка (при второстепенной роли цвета), атмосферой изысканности и утончённости ^[82] . Вместе с тем ряд критиков отмечает некоторое однообразие сюжетов, свойственное работам художника, и многократное тиражирование единожды найденных приёмов ^{[62] [84]} .

Фудзита обладал многогранным талантом: помимо живописи, он творил в области графики, фотографии, керамики, театра, кино и дизайна одежды ^{[82] [85]} . При жизни его творчество пользовалось большим успехом; цены на его картины были сопоставимы с ценами на картины Пикассо ^[86] . В послевоенные годы, однако, репутация «военного преступника», сложившаяся из-за сотрудничества Фудзиты с военными властями Японии, привела к снижению интереса к его искусству ^[87] . Забытое на протяжении нескольких десятилетий, наследие Фудзиты вновь обретает популярность у ценителей в конце ХХ — начале XXI веков: так, в 1990 году картина «Девочка в парке» ( фр. Jeune fille dans le parc , 1957) была продана за 6 050 000$ ^[88] ; в 2007 году картина «Две подруги (Юки и Мадо)» ( фр. Les deux amies (Yuki et Mado) ) была продана на аукционе Сотбис за 204 000£ ^[89] .

Раннее творчество и годы учёбы

Рисовать Фудзита начал очень рано, вдохновляясь в первую очередь окружающей природой. Он стремился зарисовать всё, что видел — цветы, травы, деревья, птиц, рыб, насекомых — вначале пальцем на песке, а после кисточкой и тушью на листках рисовой бумаги ^[6] . Позднее, в шестилетнем возрасте, его начинает привлекать военная тематика, поскольку отец-генерал много рассказывает ему о текущей японо-китайской войне . Среди его рисунков того времени — лошади, фигуры людей в движении и батальные сцены ^[90] . К 1898 году относится его первая работа маслом , изображающая курицу с яйцами ^[91] .

Поступив в 1905 году в Токийскую высшую школу изящных искусств, Фудзита вынужден придерживаться канонов традиционной японской живописи и заданных преподавателями тем. На первый взгляд его работы этого периода мало отличаются от работ его товарищей по обучению, однако в них чувствуется большее мастерство, лучшее владение линией и более оригинальная трактовка формы ^[10] . Молодой художник стремится следовать выбранным художественным ориентирам: предмет его интереса — искусство Европы, в первую очередь Франции, хотя знает он об этом искусстве крайне мало. Пройдя обязательный полугодовой курс японской живописи, Фудзита продолжает обучение на отделении западной живописи , то есть живописи маслом, которая получила широкую известность в Японии лишь после реставрации Мэйдзи и в те годы ещё воспринималась как новшество ^[92] . В числе его преподавателей — вернувшийся после обучения во Франции Сэйки Курода , чей стиль сформировался под влиянием академизма и импрессионизма . Однако Фудзита не стремится перенимать его манеру; учитель же, в свою очередь, недоволен художественными экспериментами ученика. Его главную дипломную работу — «Автопортрет» (1910), написанный в тёмных тонах, несвойственных импрессионистской живописи — Курода демонстрирует классу в качестве примера того, как не надо писать. В результате Фудзита заканчивает Школу шестнадцатым из тридцати студентов ^[93] .

Первый парижский период

Буквально в день своего приезда в Париж Фудзита отправляется вместе с художником Мануэлем Ортисом де Сарате в мастерскую Пабло Пикассо ^{[14] [К 7]} . Там он видит его картины «голубого периода», ряд кубистских картин, препарированные (с целью последующего изображения) музыкальные инструменты, негритянские маски и статуи ^[95] . Всё это производит на японского художника огромное впечатление; ему кажется, что он очутился в самом сердце авангарда . В мастерской Пикассо находятся также три картины Анри Руссо , которые приводят Фудзиту в восхищение: он и не предполагал, что в живописи возможны такая смелость и такое пренебрежение условностями и канонами искусства ^[15] . Этот момент стал для него переломным:

В ноябре 1913 года Фудзита посещает Осенний салон , где видит большое количество работ современников; зиму 1914 года он проводит за тщательнейшим изучением экспонатов Лувра ^[96] . В ранний парижский период на его творчество оказывают влияние, помимо Анри Руссо и Пикассо, такие художники, как Сутин , Модильяни , Матисс , Грис ^[97] . Он пишет меланхоличные пейзажи, в которых примитивизм Руссо сочетается с восточным минимализмом ^[98] . На некоторое время Фудзита увлекается экспериментами в духе кубизма, однако это увлечение длится недолго ^[98] . Его работы этого периода до нас почти не дошли, поскольку большее количество своих ранних произведений художник впоследствии уничтожит ^[19] . Постепенно он находит то направление, в котором будет развиваться его искусство:

В 1920-х годах первую громкую славу художнику принесли картины в жанре ню , сочетающие в себе почти салонную привлекательность с гипертрофированной изящностью ^[97] . Он разработал для них особую технику, позволяющую передать средствами масляной живописи гладкую текстуру японской бумаги. На этой идеально ровной поверхности, напоминающей слоновую кость, Фудзита сможет проводить тончайшие линии ^[99] . Ещё одна характерная особенность этих работ — их колористический минимализм, почти монохромность ^[100] . Постепенный сдвиг в сторону всё более светлых тонов в палитре Фудзиты наметился в начале 1920-х годов; вскоре он решит отдать приоритет белому цвету (несправедливо, на его взгляд, пренебрегаемому большинством художников), демонстрируя его богатство и красоту ^[101] . Фудзита покрывал холст особым молочно-белым фоном, причём состав краски держал в тайне ^[102] . Кроме того, он сочетал масляные краски с японской тушью, либо её искусной имитацией, и гордился тем, что ему удалось совместить две несовместимые техники ^{[103] [100]} .

В 1922 году настоящей сенсацией стала картина «Лежащая обнажённая с туалью из Жуи» ( фр. Nu couché à la toile de Jouy ), своей композицией напоминающая « Олимпию » Мане и одалисок Тициана и Энгра ^[104] . Женщина (моделью для которой, по словам самого Фудзиты, послужила Кики с Монпарнаса) лежит на смятых простынях в нише под пологом; её взгляд направлен прямо на зрителя. Фон выполнен оттенками сепии (Фудзита передаёт традиционные цвета туали из Жуи); перламутровая белизна женской кожи контрастирует с отдельными пятнами чёрного, тонкой чёрной линией обведены и контуры её тела ^[104] . Единственный цветовой штрих — бледно-розовые губы женщины. На ламбрекене и боковых шторах изображены стилизованные под живопись XVIII века сцены, представляющие Венеру , Марса и Вулкана , что соотносится с «будуарным» характером основного сюжета ^[104] .

Another equally famous picture in the nude genre is “Yuki, the snow goddess” ( French Youki, déesse de la neige , 1924): the artist’s companion is depicted here lying on a snowy mountain peak, and a wolf sits at her feet ^[38] . VV Mayakovsky, who was in Paris at that time, in his essay Autumn Salon, noted that one of Fujita’s nudes caused a real stir (“there was a real stampede, a real crowd in one place”) and ironically wrote: “An open lady. Hands are laid behind the head. Naked The lady has wide open armpits. On the armpit hairs. They attract attention. Hair made with amazing conscientiousness. Not by some general smear, but each separately. Just at least hand them over to the Central Bank on receipt. Not one will be lost - only a few ” ^[105] .

Along with women, Fujita often portrayed cats , which would then become an independent theme of his painting ^[106] . He seeks to convey the grace of cats, their favorite poses, the texture of their fur and character traits. Cats (who actually lived with Fujita) are also present in many self-portraits of the artist ^[107] . In addition to cats, Fujita often portrays dogs and other animals: he retains his childhood love for the natural world in his mature years. The animal genre is successful, and in 1928 Andre Salmon wrote about the artist: “By painting animals, Fujita achieved a triumph: animals helped him win the hearts of people” ^[108] . In 1930, the Book of Cats ( Fr. Livre des chats ) was published in New York, which contains 20 illustrations of Fujita poems in Michael Joseph's prose ^{[109] [K 9]} .

Fujita's paintings are also often attended by children (especially girls similar to dolls), sometimes together with animals and birds. However, the children of Fujita, especially in his later works, are devoid of traditional charm; they look strange, almost frightening ^[111] .

In his first “Parisian” period, Fujita painted a large number of portraits , including on order. If at first he introduces a certain stylization into them, under the influence of both Western art, perceived and meaningful by him, and the artistic traditions of his native country, then gradually allusions to antiquity and Japanese painting give way to a more explicit realism ^[112] . No less important place in the creative heritage of Fujits is self-portraits . Since the mid-1920s, he has been writing them annually, and the number of self-portraits he has written in his entire life exceeds one hundred, which indicates the artist’s continued interest in his own image and its gradual evolution ^[112] . On self-portraits, Fujita often appears in the form of a dandy , in unchanging round glasses, with a long bang and a mustache ^[82] . He also portrays himself in the workshop, surrounded by his own works and tools of the artist. As a rule, his appearance is full of harmony, light melancholy and inner peace; the only exception was the self-portrait of 1943, written during the period of the Pacific military operations ^[112] .

In 1929, Fujita exhibited five monumental canvases in the gallery of Jeu-de-pom, including two diptychs measuring 3x3 meters ^[113] . Again referring to his favorite genre - nude - he demonstrates in these works both an organic mastery of the techniques of Japanese art and his interest in European antiquity and the Italian Renaissance (the relief musculature of the figures depicted resembles Michelangelo 's painting). The artist himself will write about them: “I put all my soul and all my work into these four huge canvases” ^[113] .

In the 1930s, Fujita unexpectedly showed interest in surrealism and created a number of atypical works for him with bright, almost flashy colors ^[114] . Perhaps this happened under the influence of rivalry with the surrealist Desnos , to whom his beloved Yuki left Fuji. In these works, Fujita uses a number of surrealistic cliches: grotesque images, fantastic visions, veiled symbols of death. The most famous of the paintings in this style is The Tamer and the Lion ( French: La dompteuse et le lion , 1930) ^[115] . A naked woman in black stockings and green shoes (for the last time Yuki posed for this picture) stands with her hand on the mane of a huge lion; nearby lies a human hand pointing a finger at a woman. Fantastic, onyric images will later emerge in Fujita’s works, in particular in such works as The Dream ( French Le Rêve , 1947), where a strange naked woman is surrounded by a strange round dance of animals and birds dressed in human clothing ^[116] .

Latin America. Sino-Japanese period

Traveling to Latin America (1931-1933) brings new themes to Fujita’s work: observing the daily life of Bolivian, Peruvian and Mexican peasants, he makes many sketches, fixing the features of their appearance, clothing and life ^[117] . Here he meets the monumental painting of Diego Rivera ^[113] . After returning to Japan and settling in Tokyo , Fujita creates his own work in this genre, having received an order to paint the Brazilian cafe in one of the buildings of the Ginza quarter ^[118] . (The artist carried out his first mural experience in London in 1916, and subsequently practiced this genre twice in Paris ^[119] .) Next year, he will make two more murals - one for the Colomban cafe in the same quarter, the other for the Sogo store in Osaka . Subsequently, the artist will receive other orders of the same kind, and in 1934 he will become an adviser to the "Association of Japanese Muralist Artists" ^{[120] [47]} . During this period, he also writes an article entitled The Theory of Contemporary Wall Painting, in which he regrets that so little attention is paid to this genre in Japan ^[119] .

Fujita's personal exhibitions are regularly held in different cities, and the Nichido Gallery signs a contract with him for annual exhibitions for four years ^[121] . After the “colorful” Latin American period, he returns to monochromy in black and white, which only in places is enlivened by strokes of brighter tones ^[120] . In 1937, as a result of a bet with art collector Hirano Seikichi, Fujita undertook to create “the largest painting in the world” ^[122] . To do this, it was necessary to sew a single giant canvas of 20.5 × 3.65 m in size from small canvases (the work was done by a local master) and take a huge barn under the workshop for storing rice, in which this canvas could be placed ^[48] ), Fujita ten hours a day working on a grandiose work of art dedicated to the theme of the four seasons in Akita . He contrasts the dynamics of festive scenes, children's pranks, dancers and musicians with the statics of figures of local residents. The picture is dominated by red, white and gold colors, and the depicted landscape is crowned with a bright azure sky ^[122] . The artist took 174 hours to complete all the work; sometimes he did not leave the barn for three days and three nights. To create a frame for the finished painting, the oldest and strongest wood was used, which was found at the Hirano sawmill, struck by the outstanding craftsmanship of Fujita ^[123] . Currently, the work, entitled "Holidays of the Four Seasons in Akita", is stored in the art museum of this city ^[124] .

Since 1938, Fujita has become a military artist in the service of the Japanese government, which subsequently will greatly damage his reputation. He fulfills his duties out of a sense of duty, but also with genuine enthusiasm, which is expressed, in particular, in an interview with a journalist from Fukuoka : “The First World War in Europe became an inspiration for magnificent battle painting; we must strive to create even better works ” ^[125] . His artistic style was undergoing radical changes at this time; he turns into a documentary artist depicting battle scenes both from photographs and from nature. In 1941, his painting "Pearl Harbor, December 8, 1941" is replicated, as propaganda, in thousands of copies ^[126] . The most famous work of the war period is the large-scale composition “The Last Day of Singapore” (1942); in 1943, Fujita will receive the Culture Award, presented by the Asahi newspaper, for his work together and for this painting in particular ^[127] . However, during the war years, Fujita continues to write (sometimes secretly) small-format nudes and landscapes ^[127] .

Second Paris Period

Arriving in Paris in 1950, Fujita already two months later is preparing the first exhibition of 50 works in the same gallery of Paul Petrides ( French Paul Petridès ), where he has exhibited several times before ^[128] . After the war years, he returns to the previous circle of topics - children's portraits, images of motherhood, cats, landscapes (with the exception of the nude) - keeping aloof from all art schools and trends of the 50s ^{[62] [63]} . Images of pensive big-eyed girls, often with a scarf on their heads and a bow on their neck ^{[128] [62]} , became his favorite plot at this time. These girls resemble old wax or porcelain dolls, the collection of which Fujita kept in his workshop. Sylvie Buisson, an art historian and expert on the work of Fujita, suggests that the aesthetics of the kabuki theater, with which the artist was well acquainted, could influence their poses. So, the game of kabuki actors is characterized by fixing certain conditional gestures, “freezing” during the transition from one movement to another. With these "frozen" gestures, Buisson compares the stillness of children's images of Fujita ^[129] .

July and August 1950 Fujita and Kimiyo spend in Brittany , in Finister , where the artist paints a number of Breton landscapes in his typical bright palette. Low houses with bleached facades, boats and masts under a pale sky contrast with individual dark figures of fishermen and fishing wives in white hats ^[130] . As for the Parisian landscapes, in them the artist depicts significant places for himself - the Notre Dame Cathedral, the , the Edgar Kine Hotel on Montparnasse - as if they were not affected by the passage of time. In addition, since that time, Fujita has moved from large formats mainly to small ones ^[130] .

In January 1951, having accepted the invitation to hold an exhibition of his works in Algeria , Fujita went on a trip to North Africa, during which he made many sketches ^[64] . In November of that year, a major solo exhibition of Fujita in Madrid was held, which was a huge success with the public ^[131] . The artist is commissioned with many portraits; he notes that he managed to break his own record for orders for all previous periods. In addition, in Paris, Paul Petrides, encouraged by the success of the previous Fujita exhibition, pledges to organize personal exhibitions of the artist every two years. Gradually, the lost glory of the pre-war years returns to Fujita ^[131] .

Since the mid-50s, the artist often paints flowers, especially roses and lilacs, arranged in bouquets and placed in old vases ^[132] . In the 60s, floral motifs varied with daisies, lilies of the valley, wildflowers; bouquets of flowers are often held in the hands of girls, who remain one of the unchanged topics in the work of Fujita. It is typical for him to repeat similar stories over and over, changing details: accessories in girls' costumes, their poses, the flowers surrounding them and attributes of different seasons ^[62] .

In his later work, Fujita, who became a Catholic, turns mainly to religious topics and biblical subjects ^[71] . Interest in them was by no means sudden and arose from the future artist in his childhood, when he examined images of saints in a Catholic church in Tokyo ^[133] . Subsequently, in Paris, in the Louvre, he carefully studied the religious painting of Italian and Flemish artists; repeatedly copied compositional schemes and individual elements of paintings by Raphael and Botticelli ^[134] . In his own work, subjects related to Christianity appeared already in 1917 ^[71] , and in 1919, forty years before his baptism, he exhibited 25 paintings and drawings on religious themes in the Paris Sharon Gallery, including five works oil: “The Birth of Jesus”, “Position in the tomb”, “Virgin with the baby”, “Christ” and “Chastity” ^[133] . During these years, he also painted images of Madonnas and praying women, using rich red and blue colors (which the artist himself compared with the Fra Angelico palette) and special techniques to create a golden background ^[28] .

In 1959, Fujita worked on three large-format watercolor illustrations for the Apocalypse : “The Seven Trumpets”, “The Four Horsemen” and “The New Jerusalem” ^[71] . Sophisticated multi-figured compositions abound in meticulously painted details, including macabre in nature. Probably, Fujita’s feelings generated by the horrors of war and the atomic bombing of Japan found a response in this work ^[135] .

In 1964, Fujita decided to erect in Reims , the city where he was baptized, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary (later it will become known as the Fujita Chapel ) ^[75] . In order to independently paint its interior, the artist masters a new mural technique for himself. The tremendous work of painting the walls with a total area of ​​about 110 m2 takes six months; On October 1, 1966, the chapel was consecrated ^[135] . Its interior is dominated by yellow and blue; in places they are complemented by green and dark red ^{[136] [76]} . Fujita introduces noncanonical elements into the traditional themes of Christian iconography: for example, as a kind of homage to Reims, he paints a fresco depicting a Madonna and a brush of local grapes in the left aisle, while the silhouettes of the Reims Cathedral and the Basilica of Saint-Remy are distinguishable in the background ^{[137 ]} . It is also unusual that the faces of many characters are distorted by grimaces ^[136] , and the composition of the biblical scenes contains grotesque and frightening images of skeletons, gallows, grinning skulls, children with piercing eyes and strange animals ^[135] . Nevertheless, the entire ensemble of frescoes, thanks to “sunny” yellow and soft blue tones, creates a feeling of peace and tranquility ^{[136] [137]} .

According to the memoirs of Georges Prada, the last work of Fujita was a double image (full face and profile) of the face of Christ, created by him for Rene Lalu and Prad himself ^[136] . The artist completed it in the Zurich hospital, three weeks before his death ^[138] .

The widow of Tsuguharu Fujita, Kimiyo Fujita, who passed away in 2009, bequeathed the rights to her husband’s legacy to the Catholic charitable foundation Apprentis d'Auteuil ^[139] . Under his auspices, in 2011, the Fujita Foundation ( Fondation Foujita ) was created, which owns all the rights to the artist’s work. The fund has a twofold goal: helping the needy youth and introducing them to art, as well as promoting the work of Fujita ^[140] .

The artist's house in Villiers-le-Bakles is currently a museum. This small house of the 18th century ^{[141] was} preserved in the condition it remained after the death of Fujita, and after restoration in 2000 it was opened to the public ^[142] . Fujita himself expressed the corresponding wish during his lifetime, believing that a visit to the artist’s workshop helps to better understand his work ^[141] .

A large number of paintings by Fujita are in the Reims Museum of Fine Arts . In 2013, 663 works of the artist were transferred to the city, which makes the Reims collection the largest in the world ^[143] . In addition to paintings, various objects and documents related to the life of Fujita were handed over to the museum: a total of more than 2,300 exhibits. In 2018, the opening of a new museum building was planned, where the whole hall will be allocated to paintings by Fujita ^[144] , but the work on the construction of the museum complex will probably last until 2023 ^[145] . In addition, in Reims, you can visit the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Pae (Blessed Virgin Mary of the World), erected and painted by the artist ^[77] .

Some works of Fujita are also in museums in France, Japan, the United States and in private collections. In 2011, , located in Hakon near Tokyo, received 37 Fujita paintings from an anonymous donor, the existence of which was not previously known ^{[146] [147]} . Since 1987, the catalog-reason for Fujita (compiled by Sylvie Buisson) has been published; as of 2019, three volumes have been published and a fourth is being prepared ^[148] .

В 2006 году в Токио состоялась крупная ретроспектива Фудзиты, приуроченная к 120-летию со дня рождения художника ^[87] . В 2015 году японский режиссёр Кохэй Огури снял художественный фильм «Фудзита», повествующий о жизни художника ^[149] . В 2018 году, в честь пятидесятилетия смерти, в ряде городов Франции и Японии прошли посвящённые ему выставки ^[150] . Наиболее крупная выставка состоялась в парижском : на ней были представлены более ста работ из музеев разных стран и частных коллекций ^[151] . В том же году во Франции была выпущена памятная марка, посвящённая Фудзите ^[152] , а компания Google посвятила ему один из своих дудлов ^[153] .

В России произведения Фудзиты экспонировались в ГМИИ им. А. С. Пушкина в рамках выставок «Парижская школа» (2011—2012 гг.) и «„Шальные годы“ Монпарнаса. Живопись и графика из собраний Франции, Швейцарии и России» (2015) ^[154] .

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• Asato Ikeda. Fujita Tsuguharu Retrospective 2006: Resurrection of a Former Official War Painter (англ.) // Review of Japanese Culture and Society. — 2009. — No. 21 . — P. 97—115 .
• Birnbaum Ph. Glory in a Line: A Life of Foujita : the Artist Caught Between East & West . — New York: Faber and Faber, 2006. — 331 p. — ISBN 0374706964 .
• Buisson S. Léonard-Tsuguharu Foujita . — ACR Edition, 1987. — 636 p. — ISBN 2867701457 .
• Buisson D., Buisson S. Léonard-Tsuguharu Foujita . — ACR Edition, 2001. — Vol. 1. — 590 p. — ISBN 286770149X .

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